Meet the Superman saving the sun bears of Malaysia

28/07/2017

CNN.com, 28th July 2017

By Kathleen Toner, CNN



Known as "Papa Bear," Wong's Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is the only sun bear sanctuary in the world.

Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia (CNN): With his wire-rimmed glasses and mild manner, Siew Te Wong could be described as a Malaysian Clark Kent.

This wildlife biologist is a Superman of sorts -- a tireless defender of the world's smallest bear species: the sun bear.

"I often call the sun bear a forgotten species," Wong said. "When I first started, 20 years ago, no one has ever studied sun bears. Most people do not know that they even exist."

As he studied the animal and realized the threats it faced from deforestation and hunting/poaching, he knew the bears were in serious trouble.
"The more I learn about them, the more I care. The more I care, the more I worry," he said. "I have to help them."

oday, Wong's nonprofit, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, is the only sun bear sanctuary in the world.

Wong -- known as "Papa Bear" -- and his team have rehabilitated and cared for 55 rescued sun bears since 2008. The group now also educates the public about these animals.

Sun bears are found in the rainforests of south Asia, and the small bears play a big role in keeping these woodlands healthy. Many plants and animals depend on them to spread seeds, create nesting sites and control the termite population -- functions that keep the ecosystems in balance. Healthy rainforests provide clean air and water to the entire world.

But the sun bear population has decreased by 30% during the last three decades. In 2007, the bear was officially classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Currently, 44 sun bears live at Wong's center -- all of them were orphaned by poachers or rescued from captivity. The center has also become one of the leading tourist destinations in the ​area, helping to raise awareness about the sun bear's plight.



A sun bear explores the forest at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

"They can see how special the sun bear is and learn about how their survival (is) important to ours," Wong said, "so they can take some action when they go back to home."

For Wong, this work is simply his responsibility.

"Sun bears became part of my family. When they're endangered, I care for them. When they are in trouble, I speak for them," he said. "I want to be the voice for the sun bear, to fight for the sun bear, to ensure the survival of the sun bear."

"But my ultimate goal is to save the entire forest ecosystem ... that is so important to the survival of mankind."

CNN spoke with Wong about his work. Below is an edited version of the conversation.

CNN: How did you get involved with the sun bear?

Siew Te Wong: I grew up keeping different pets and rescuing birds that fell from nests. I always wanted to be an animal expert or a veterinarian. After high school, I went to Taiwan to study veterinary science, and that's where I got involved with studying wildlife. In 1994, I came to the University of Montana to study wildlife biology and I met a professor, Christopher Servheen. He was looking for a Malaysian student to do a study on sun bears. I said, "I'm your man!"

CNN: Tell me more about the threats these animals face.

Wong: Over the last 50 years, many of the tropical forests in this region have been cleared, and with deforestation, sun bears have lost their habitat. And even though sun bears are a protected species, they are hunted for their meat and their body parts, which are used in traditional Asian medicines. This is literally wiping out local populations.
Their babies are also kept as illegal pets. Their cubs are really cute, but people don't realize that this baby bear will turn into a destructive beast. In the end, they will either kill the bears or lock (them) in small cages. We are doing lots of educational awareness to make sure that people don't keep bears anymore.

CNN: How do the animals spend their time at the center?
​
Wong: Every day after breakfast, we release the bears into the forest enclosure. This is where they learn to forage, climb trees, build nests and socialize. All of those activities help them get ready to be released and survive in the forest.



CNN Hero Siew Te Wong

At 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., we give the bears different fruits, and at 4pm, the bears come back and have dinner in the bear house. We keep them inside at night because this level of bear density in the forest is not natural. We also want to monitor their well-being. However, there are a few bears left out for the night, which is good. One day, they will live there all the time.

CNN: How many bears have you been able to release?

Wong: We have released two bears so far, and this year we plan to release four more. There are many bears that we cannot release because they were in captivity for a long time. They lost their instinct to find food, they're habituated to people, and many that were rescued as adults cannot climb trees. There are also bears who (were) malnourished or who had their claws chopped off. They don't have the skills to survive in the forest, so they have to stay here for the rest of their lives.

Hopefully in the future, there'll be more bears ready to be released. I want bears to live in the forest and not in captivity. (That) is where they belong. It is their home.
​
Want to get involved? Check out the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre website and see how to help.
To donate to the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, click the CrowdRise widget below.
DONATE NOW
Donations are accepted through LEAP (or their full name, Land Empowerment Animals People), a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Stop using bear bile, switch to better herbs

19/07/2017

Star2.com, 18th July 2017

By Andrew Sia

An Asiatic black bear squashed into a tiny cage in a bile factory in China. Its cracked paw pad is due to lack of use. Photo: Animals Asia

Warning: Some of the images in this article may be considered disturbing

Bears! Most of us are used to seeing cute, fluffy soft toys or images of them gamboling along a riverbank in nature documentaries. But for many bears, the reality is starkly different.

Thousands of bears lie in constant pain and anguish in small cages as crude methods are used to extract their bile – metal catheters inserted into open, infected holes drilled into their bellies.

This is the description of the brutal bear bile industry that Jill Robinson, the founder of Animals Asia, gave Britain’s Guardian newspaper.

“They call them bear farms but they are more like bear torture camps,” said Dr Chris R. Shepherd, immediate past chief of wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic Southeast Asia.

“The bears are poorly treated. Some are confined to ‘crush cages’ so tight they can’t stand, sit or move,” he explained at a recent interview.
“Some bears show scars as they keep bashing their heads against the cage bars.”
​
Others have the added misery of wearing “metal jackets” designed to restrain them and with sharp metal spikes to stop them bending their heads.

Metal ‘jackets’ are used to restrain bears while their bile is extracted, in often unhygienic conditions. Photo: Animals Asia

There is also often a permanent catheter running from the bear’s abdomen to a bile collection pouch.

Metal pins, hooks and other makeshift devices are often crudely inserted right into the gall bladder to hold the catheter in place.

This is often done in conditions ripe for infection so the bears are fed antibiotics to keep them alive.

“Some bears are put into cages as cubs and never released,” said Robinson.
And after 10, 20 or even 30 years of captivity, bears stop producing enough bile and are then killed and their body parts sold.

Some have badly worn teeth, with raw and exposed nerves, from trying to chew through the bars.

These bear concentration camps are found mostly in China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos noted Dr Shepherd.
​
Even Hong Kong movie stars such as Karen Mok and Jackie Chan have felt compelled to launch campaigns against bear bile farming.

A bear cub has been killed to extract its gall bladder containing bile. Photo: Traffic Southeast Asia/Chris Shepherd

Robinson said, “In Malaysia, there are no such farms, but wild sun bears are poached and killed and their gall bladders are removed for sale.”


Gloria Ganang, from the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, said poachers are even entering protected forest reserves to hunt for bears.

Heal not harmThe main driver of this horrific “industry” is the high value of bear bile in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
​

But luckily, the cruelty can stop as there are many alternative medicines, as reiterated last week at a joint one-day conference by the Federation of Chinese Physicians and Medicine Dealers Associations of Malaysia and Traffic Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur.

Ting: ‘We urge everyone to stop using bear bile and medicine from endangered species.’ Photo: The Star/Andrew Sia

Federation president Ting Ka Hua said, “The purpose of traditional Chinese medicine is to save lives. But if you have to kill or torture animals to do that, then it defeats the purpose.


“Extraction of bear bile either kills bears or means horrible lives for bears in cages.”


He added, “Since there are over 50 substitutes for bear bile with similar healing powers, why don’t we use those instead?


“Our industry is different from others, it is to heal, not to harm. We are responsible for what we sell and use, and we urge everyone to stop using bear bile and medicine from endangered species.”


Kanitha Krishnasamy, acting regional director for Traffic Southeast Asia, said the organisation is very glad to be partnering with Malaysia’s largest TCM community to end illegal trade in wildlife.


Alex Choo, the federation’s secretary-general, said, “I was trained as a Chinese physician in Penang. We were not taught how to use bear bile in our text books.
“I believe Chinese physicians will not prescribe bear bile, though some shops may still sell it.”


He likens the campaign to move away from bear bile to the one on shark fin.
​
“The younger generation will probably support it, but the mindset of older folks will be harder to change.”

https://youtu.be/tWpZpkBtXgQ

Better alternatives

About 80 TCM practitioners, physicians and lecturers attended the conference.
This included Dr Feng Yibin, associate director at the University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) School of Chinese Medicine.
According to him, the best alternative to bear bile is the herb huanglian, also known as berberis, Chinese goldthread, or by its Latin name Coptis chinensis.

During the conference, Dr Feng showed his scientific studies on the biogenetics, phytochemical properties, protein/DNA analysis and bioactivity of the herb in cellular and animal studies.


He explained that huanglian can be used like bear bile in the traditional cures of “removing damp heat”, “purging fire”, and “detoxifying”.


His conclusion: huanglian is just as effective as bear bile, and sometimes even better, in treating liver disease and cancer, two of the main uses for bear bile.
The studies have been published in 25 international medical journals.


Dr Feng himself has seen improvements when patients with liver problems were treated with huanglian.


His team at HKU also investigated bile from cows and found that it has similar effects on liver inflammation and other diseases.



Dr Feng Yibin says the herb huanglian may be even better in treating liver disease than bear bile. Photo: The Star.Andrew Sia

Dr Feng said that because bears are now endangered and bear bile is expensive, some people think that “if they pay more, it will be better”.


But being expensive is a doubled-edged sword as “some bear bile is fake or mixed with other substances”, he said.


What makes bear bile even less desirable is that it’s often extracted in backyard (often illegal) operations in unhygienic conditions.


The wounds where the catheters are poked into the bear are often infected and this can cause contamination of the bile (with bacteria or antibiotics).



A bear in Vietnam with a missing paw, which was probably crushed in a trap. Most bears are captured to have their bile extracted. Photo: Animals Asia

“A bear can spend 30 years of its life in a cage in extreme pain every day while bile is extracted from its gall bladder,” said Dr Feng.

“It is our duty to use scientific research to find a substitute and stop this cruel practice.
​
“We should modernise traditional Chinese medical knowledge with science. This not only benefits wildlife but also humans.”
​
Shepherd concluded, “We don’t want to demonise the (TCM) industry. We want to work with them to improve it, and this is a huge step forward.”
When the buying stops, the abuse and killing will stop too.

https://youtu.be/PENl5091uAM

The sad facts and figures behind bear bile cruelty

Fact about the bear bile business from Traffic Southeast Asia and other sources:
> Malaysia is ranked at No.4 of 17 countries surveyed as a key source and consumer of bear parts and derivatives.


> All bear bile, whether local or imported, is illegal in Malaysia. But 175 of 365 traditional medicine shops (48%) in every state in Malaysia had bear bile openly for sale according to a survey by Traffic in 2012. Nobody has ever been punished for this.


> In Peninsular Malaysia, the sun bear has total protection under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, and anyone who hunts, keeps or trades it without a special permit can be punished with a fine up to RM100,000 or jail up to three years, or both.

> In addition, under the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008, someone possessing bear bile can be fined up to an aggregate of RM1mil, or up to seven years jail, or both.

> The trade in bear bile in China is worth about US$250mil (RM1bil) It’s even used as an ingredient in mundane stuff like shampoo and skin creams. Apart from animal cruelty, it may become a political issue (that embarrasses China), according to Hong Kong scientist Dr Feng Yibin.


> Seizures and raids by the Wildlife Department in Malaysia have been increasing. In August 2016, dozens of bear parts (teeth, claws, gall bladders, etc) were seized in raids in Peninsular Malaysia. In the same month in Sabah, two men were arrested for trying to sell bear parts. In October 2016, a man in Pahang was arrested for trying to sell a sun bear online.


> Sun bears are being hunted and killed in Sarawak and Sabah. Two sun bear carcasses were found disembowelled with both paws chopped off in the Kulamba Wildlife Reserve in eastern Sabah in 2015.


> In the Belum-Temengor forests of northern Perak, sun bears have been found (dead or still living) with limbs caught in snares.
Some are seen missing a limb, which would have probably been crushed in traps.



Bears are social animals that need interaction – and even play when they’re young, as seen here at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. Isolating them, as is done on bear bile farms, is a form of torture. Photo: BSBCC

EE Race 18

19/07/2017

This year, the 18th Environmental Education Race (EERace) has once again chosen BSBCC as one of the pit stop for their race. The EERace is an environmental education programme held annually in the heart of Borneo districts of Sabah. It is organized by the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) under the Sabah Forestry Department, together with many government and private organizations. The aim of the race is to enhance and deepen teacher's knowledge and experiences on the environment.Our course, called the EERace, features 80 % outdoor activities, participant-centred learning, group effort and interesting environment-related assignments. The participants of this race are secondary school’s principals around Sabah. This race started from the 17th of July 2017and will end on the 22nd of July 2017. On the July 19th, 2017 the team has arrived at our centre. All of the participants has no idea on their next destinations and what they will be doing. At BSBCC, the partipants were given a pre assignment where they need to guess the bear’s food. After that, they were given a short talk on BSBCC’s roles and effort in sun bear conservation. Later, they also did bear’s observation on the observation platform. Their next task is where they were required to act as a bear being locked up in a cage! The purpose of this activity is to allow the participants to experience what it feels like to be badly treated by people who visits displayed animals. After this session, they were asked to share their experience to everyone. The creativity of the participants were tested by asking them to create bear’s enrichment using natural materials such as ginger leaves, ropes, fruits and honey. At the end of their activity at BSBCC, the participants were asked to answer a simple question, to test their understanding on the whole activity they went through – related to sun bear’s conservation. It was great to see all of them enjoyed their time at our centre. We look forward for more exciting activities on next EERace! See you again!



After the participants completed the pre-assignment, they will be given a card for their next task.



Ramsar Group



Guessing bear's food from the Aussie Dog Ball



Talk on BSBCC’s roles and effort in sun bear conservation by Gloria



The participants doing bears observation on the observation platform; they were asked to record the bear's behaviours in a form.



Sharon doing short briefing to the participants before 'Bear Acting' session



Participants asked to stay in small cage for them to experience what it feels like to be badly treated by people who visits displayed animals



Participants asked to stay in small cage for them to experience what it feels like to be badly treated by people who visits displayed animals



Bear enrichment session by Jeremy, assisted by our bear keepers Roger and David



Roger doing demonstration and explaination before the participants make enrichment on their own.



Hands on activity: creating bear's enrichments



Done!



Completed enrichments - all made by the participants



Jeremy gave a short briefing before the next task



Group photo before they head to the next destination. Good luck!

Unforgettable 2 weeks at the BSBCC

11/07/2017

Text by Chantal Jeffrey
Photos by Seng Yen Wah

My name is Chantal Jeffrey and I study a bachelor of animal ecology at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia for which I completed two weeks of volunteer work at the BSBCC. Now, I won’t lie, it was tiring, hot work but let me tell you why it was so fulfilling and worthwhile.

Starting at the centre, I was welcomed by extremely lovely staff whose politeness and contagious happiness instantly struck me. All of the bear keepers, workers and other volunteers were informative, happy to help and answer all questions which benefited my learning experience. They were encouraging, bubbly and always smiling which really made me feel part of the BSBCC family.
I was shown the hard work and skills it takes to be a bear keeper and the immense dedication I witnessed, by all staff, to caring for the sun bears was truly inspirational. 



Testing out the equipment for the bears.

​Daily jobs included food preparation and feeding for both indoor enclosures and forest pens, enclosure maintenance and cleaning as well as creating enrichment for the bears. I took part in making several different types of enrichment such as nest balls, stick paradox and ‘proposal day’, which all had the same concept; hiding peanut butter and/or honey within leaves or sticks so the bears needed to rip it open to get to their treat. Other enrichment included placing food around and on top of the enclosures to encourage the bears to climb, providing them with termite nests and placing logs and branches in enclosures for them to rip into. It was rewarding and an absolute joy watching the bears’ reactions and seeing them enjoy their enrichment.

Whilst completing these jobs, I got to know some of the bears. They all have different personalities and characteristics, from the cheeky cubs ‘Nano’ and ‘Noah’ to the quiet ‘Kuamut’. All were beautiful and unique and working so closely with them was unreal.

As well as aiding in the animal welfare side of things, I was also sent to work on the viewing platforms. There, I communicated with tourists, introducing them to bears, educating them about sun bear morphology and ecology and ultimately, promoting awareness of the importance of their conservation. It was very satisfying, knowing that I was helping to spread the word about this incredible and beautiful species.
​
Working for the sun bears at the BSBCC was absolutely amazing and so rewarding. Despite only being two weeks, it was a truly unforgettable experience that left me with countless memories and I would go back and do it all again without hesitation.  

This photo of myself (left) with my fellow USC student volunteer, Brittany Lang (right) and Dr Wong, was taken after one of the sessions where we were given the chance to ask him any questions, in person, which was incredibly interesting and educational.

The future of wildlife is in our hands!

8/7/2017

Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May

​Students from SMK Tunku are spent two days trip to Tabin Wildlife Reserve to immerse themesleves in Borneo's unique biodiversity. They take part in a variety of activities including forest trekking, mud volcano, bird watching and meeting with difference conservation organisations from government and NGO to experience conservation first-hand.

We are very grateful that BSBCC was invited to join this talk. Our staff, Thye lim have deliver a talk about all the amazing work BSBCC has done for save sun bear, addresses the needs of local people to conserve this forgotten species and his concern for our forest and the wild animals we share it with.

It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The enthusiasm and energy from the students are great. It is very pleased to see they share and learn. Our hope is for children to understand the importance for wildlife and forests and they can be inspired to become conservationists of the future!!



Students from SMK Tunku are spent two days trip to Tabin Wildlife Reserve to immerse themesleves in Borneo's unique biodiversity. They take part in a variety of activities including forest trekking, mud volcano, bird watching and meeting with difference conservation organisations from government and NGO to experience conservation first-hand.



Students from SMK Tunku are spent two days trip to Tabin Wildlife Reserve to immerse themesleves in Borneo's unique biodiversity. They take part in a variety of activities including forest trekking, mud volcano, bird watching and meeting with difference conservation organisations from government and NGO to experience conservation first-hand.



Students from SMK Tunku are spent two days trip to Tabin Wildlife Reserve to immerse themesleves in Borneo's unique biodiversity. They take part in a variety of activities including forest trekking, mud volcano, bird watching and meeting with difference conservation organisations from government and NGO to experience conservation first-hand.



Students from SMK Tunku are spent two days trip to Tabin Wildlife Reserve to immerse themesleves in Borneo's unique biodiversity. They take part in a variety of activities including forest trekking, mud volcano, bird watching and meeting with difference conservation organisations from government and NGO to experience conservation first-hand.



We are very grateful that BSBCC was invited to join this talk. Our staff, Thye lim have deliver a talk about all the amazing work BSBCC has done for save sun bear, addresses the needs of local people to conserve this forgotten species and his concern for our forest and the wild animals we share it with




We are very grateful that BSBCC was invited to join this talk. Our staff, Thye lim have deliver a talk about all the amazing work BSBCC has done for save sun bear, addresses the needs of local people to conserve this forgotten species and his concern for our forest and the wild animals we share it with



We are very grateful that BSBCC was invited to join this talk. Our staff, Thye lim have deliver a talk about all the amazing work BSBCC has done for save sun bear, addresses the needs of local people to conserve this forgotten species and his concern for our forest and the wild animals we share it with



It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The enthusiasm and energy from the students are great. It is very pleased to see they share and learn. Our hope is for children to understand the importance for wildlife and forests and they can be inspired to become conservationists of the future!!



It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The enthusiasm and energy from the students are great. It is very pleased to see they share and learn. Our hope is for children to understand the importance for wildlife and forests and they can be inspired to become conservationists of the future!!



It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The enthusiasm and energy from the students are great. It is very pleased to see they share and learn. Our hope is for children to understand the importance for wildlife and forests and they can be inspired to become conservationists of the future!!



It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The enthusiasm and energy from the students are great. It is very pleased to see they share and learn. Our hope is for children to understand the importance for wildlife and forests and they can be inspired to become conservationists of the future!!



It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved. The enthusiasm and energy from the students are great. It is very pleased to see they share and learn. Our hope is for children to understand the importance for wildlife and forests and they can be inspired to become conservationists of the future!!

Loki - the sun bear who never gave up!

7/7/2017

Text and Photos by Chiew Lin May



When you look into the eyes of a rescued sun bear cub, the sad truth is that sun bears are in grave danger of extinction in the wild which is led by a decline in at least 30 percent of the sun bear population in the last three decades. Sun bears live in their natural habitat, they learn all of the basic skills needed to survive. Ongoing habitat loss, poaching and illegal pet trade continues to be the biggest threat to wild bear populations in Southeast Asia.
​


On March 24, 2014, we received a rescued female sun bear cub –Loki. BSBCC Founder & CEO, Dr. Wong Siew Te handling the new rescue cub.



Loki was emaciated and malnourished upon the arrival.

​Found in the backyard of an inn, where she had been illegally kept as pet. Her previous owner purchased her from a friend in Ranau, a town on the west coast of Sabah and named her “Ooi”. Instead of learning to be a sun bear, she had been caged, lonely, fed an inappropriate diet and exploited to fulfill human selfishness. Unfortunately, we do not know what happened to little Loki’s mother. This horrific life was all she had ever known. Loki was rescued by Sabah Wildlife Department and sent to Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) on March 24th, 2014. Loki is a very special sun bear cub and thanks to Steve Denim who is passionate about changing the life of captive sun bears by adopting her and named her “Loki” in memory of his cat that was struck by a car.



Loki was saved and brought to her new home at the BSBCC. She was under quarantine and is being given around the clock care by our staff. Bear care team provide different type of natural enrichment. She practices her “wild bear skills” every day.

When she first arrived at BSBCC, her paws and canines appeared too big for her tiny body. Due to the emotional trauma that resulted from her being kept as a pet, she was very stressed, pacing and showing signs of malnutrition, dehydration and severe diarrhea. Raising a sun bear cub requires extensive round-the-clock care with a balanced diet which comprises of fruits and protein, and exercise to help her grow strong and build confidence! After a thorough checkup, she began the long but hopeful journey of care and rehabilitation. Without the comfort of her mother, she was still traumatized to feel safe. When she was alone, she paced a lot. 



Loki was saved and brought to her new home at the BSBCC. She was under quarantine and is being given around the clock care by our staff. Bear care team provide different type of natural enrichment. She practices her “wild bear skills” every day.

​Little Loki is given different kinds of enrichment to improve her well-being by encouraging her to climb and exercise as much as possible. She lacked all of the basic forest skills. It did not look as if she was improving greatly over the first couple of weeks because she did not trust her care taker. However, things are going positive and Loki has grown to be happy and has become more comfortable when we introduce new bear friends to her. “The best enrichment for a bear is another bear” – Dr. Wong Siew Te (BSBCC Founder & CEO). They have built up a firm friendship that has lasted until this day! Every minute of every day, they love wrestling, play fighting and hanging out together. It was exciting to see her begin her new life with other bears! 



Loki was saved and brought to her new home at the BSBCC. She was under quarantine and is being given around the clock care by our staff. Bear care team provide different type of natural enrichment. She practices her “wild bear skills” every day.



Loki was saved and brought to her new home at the BSBCC. She was under quarantine and is being given around the clock care by our staff. Bear care team provide different type of natural enrichment. She practices her “wild bear skills” every day.

Loki and her friends have been moved from Quarantine to the Bear House for further rehabilitation process. We know that there will be a second chance for Loki – in large green tropical rainforests with  tall trees, as she goes digging for termites, climbing trees, sniffing for bee nests, enjoying the cool breeze, running around, and wrestled from the forest floor...like a wild bear! On December 5th, 2015 Loki was nervous in taking her first brave steps into a new environment after she spent a long time inside a cage. It was hard for Loki to imagine her life could change and be a free sun bear in the wild. She made her way over to dense vegetation and straight away learnt to live in the trees.



On December 5th, 2015 Loki stepped foot into the forest for the first time! She is exciting new things that surround her.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



On April 21st, 2014 this was a special day for Loki as it was her first contact with another sun bear. Due to her emotional trauma she had when she first arrived at BSBCC, she is now a mischievous bear and loves her new companion.



On April 21st, 2014 this was a special day for Loki as it was her first contact with another sun bear. Due to her emotional trauma she had when she first arrived at BSBCC, she is now a mischievous bear and loves her new companion.



Loki was saved and brought to her new home at the BSBCC. She was under quarantine and is being given around the clock care by our staff. Bear care team provide different type of natural enrichment. She practices her “wild bear skills” every day.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



Loki using her long, curved claws and strong canines to pulling, biting and breaking off branches to builds a comfortable small tree nest.



Loki using her long, curved claws and strong canines to pulling, biting and breaking off branches to builds a comfortable small tree nest.



She start to put her past trauma behind her, free to fell the forest floor under her paws!

​For a three year old, sub adult female bear, Loki has made tremendous progress during her rehabilitation time at BSBCC. She is always enthusiastic about exploring new things around the forest and she proved to us that she is an exceptional tree climber and can build arboreal nests. She adores her forest and spends most of the time learning vital skills in the forest canopy with her playmates. She has acquired many of the survival skills that she needs in order to survive in the wild!



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.



It was pleasure to see Loki adapted quickly to her new forest. She loves to forage for wild food such as termites and invertebrates. She spent a great deal time climbing, resting, playing with branches on tree canopy and play fight with friends. Loki is learning all the skills pertinent to survival in the wild.

We are so thrilled that little Loki is growing in confidence, active and an independent female bear. She was never able to experience learning survival skills with her mother, but at least she finds absolute delight with the good things in life. She is starting to put her past behind her and is learning to be a wild bear again. We hope Loki will one day be released back into the rainforest of Borneo where she belongs.